If you really care about the big questions in the economies and societies of the 21st century, such as distributive justice - namely, inequality of income or wealth, and its correlation with economic growth - this course is meant for you. The knowledge you will gain can truly change your outlook on our world.
"Economic Growth and Distributive Justice - the Role of the State" is the first part of a two part course and it includes the following four lectures:
(1) What do we need a state for?
(2) The Relationship between Efficiency and Distributive Justice
(3) Demonstrating the implications of different ethical theories
(4) Distributive Justice: measurement and implications
Once you've completed the first part, we strongly recommend that you register for the second part entitled: "Economic Growth and Distributive Justice - Maximizing Social Well-being", as well. Taking both parts of the course would enable you to obtain a fuller and more comprehensive knowledge about Economic Growth and Distributed Justice.
The course is founded upon the elemental idea that the role of the state is to maximize the well-being - or simply the happiness - of its residents. In 9 fascinating, edifying lessons, using only simple words and decoding professional terminologies that sometimes baffle the intelligent layman, the course expounds many truths – both intuitive and unintuitive. Often using examples from the US and Europe, it does not however focus on policies in any particular region of the world, and is directly applicable to all countries around the globe.
The course touches upon the essence of important concepts like efficiency and equity, inequality and poverty, gross domestic product, tax evasion and tax planning; it presents the work of Nobel Laureate James Mirrlees and his followers - promoting a coherent system that integrates tax and government expenditures to maximize social welfare; and illuminates a range of high-profile issues from their economic angle:
• Climate change: the atmosphere and oceans as public goods, and how smart (Pigovian) taxation can be used to combat the rapidly increasing threats to our planet;
• Technology as the engine of economic growth;
• Taxing the rich: How can we mitigate the growing inequality problem? Should we impose a global tax on capital?
The curriculum includes interviews with major figures in the fields of law and of economics: Harvard's Elhanan Helpman, Dan Shaviro from NYU and Richard Epstein from the University of Chicago and NYU.
After successfully completing this course, you can expect to be able to:
• better understand economic issues presented in the media
• form an informed opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of presented social economic policies
• define and measure inequality and poverty
• define the connection between inequality (income, wealth) and economic growth
• explain the foundations of economic growth
• design a tax and transfer system to maximize the happiness of individuals
All these will allow you to better understand the policies being developed around you, and to play a larger, more informed role in their development, as a conscientious citizen.

From the lesson

What do we Need a State For?

Dear students,
We are delighted that you have chosen to take our course 'Economic Growth and Distributive Justice'. We hope that you will not only benefit from the broad knowledge it offers, but also (or maybe, above all) profoundly enjoy the learning process. This week's lecture, the first in the course, will focus on a question you are all familiar with, or at least, with some version of it: Ask not what you can do for the state; ask what the state can do for you. We will try to answer this question, while introducing basic ideas and terminologies related to economics, law, philosophy, psychology, sociology and more. The notion of HAPPINESS will be a major theme, as it is the ultimate answer to the question above. As part of the discussion, we will touch upon diverse issues such as: defining happiness; finding out what makes us happy; and what the state can do to maximize the individuals’ wellbeing. We will discuss market failures such as externalities and free-riding on public goods, and understand the role of the state in overcoming them.
So, are you ready?
Let's begin!
Please take a few minutes to fill in the Welcome Survey that will help us get to know you better. The teaching team Economic Growth and Distributive Justice